Has anyone tried the Shur Trax water bag for weight in the back

How about just getting a canopy for the bed? That will add around 200 lbs.

 

And have you learned to drive?

 

I had one on a frontier several years ago. It went with the Frontier. I didn't care for it, here the water was sloshing half the time and the other half it was frozen in a configuration that that was not all that helpful, off balance or tiled to the rear. I have a long and hilly gravel drive. I buy three bags of rock (60 lbs each I believe) each winter at the Home Depot and put them over the axel. Each spring the rock goes onto the drive.

 

FWIW. I had the "big" ShurTrax in my GMC Sierra 2500HD. It was 2wd powered by a 6.0L. On ice or snow, it had zippo traction. The weight from the full ShurTrax was a big help.

I lived in WI at the time. Yes, the bag froze solid. I loaded materials on top of the bag when the water was in either state. I used it for 4 years, never had a leak or problems with sloshing or loading on top of it. The tie down points kept the bag from moving. When filled the bag is only about 3" thick.

I'd fill it in October. In the Spring (March), I'd remove the fill plug. As the ice melted, the bag would drain. The full bag would place about 400 lbs in the bed.

In the end, its not a big deal if the water freezes. If you are concerned about puncturing the bag, cut a piece of plywood to place on top of the bag.